The Storyteller
by Tarrant Hawkins
Summary: An old man visits an orphanage and tells a story to the kids. A story about a young Bilbo Baggins, but not everything is as it appears to be


Disclaimer: All Middle Earth characters in this story belong to J. R. R. Tolkien or whoever is in charge of his estate now. The Old Took's party was his creation as well, some mention of it in the Hobbit. The plot line is mine though. I don't intend to sell this or anything.  
  
An old man walked down the street in the drizzling rain. He was clad in a tattered gray cloak, but white shown through the holes. His long white hair and sweeping silver beard gave him a look of ancient wisdom. He leaned heavily upon his staff, but his eyes were full of fire. He entered a run- down orphanage.  
  
He sat down by the fireplace. The children gathered round anticipating the story he would tell. What his real name was and from where he came they did not know, but to them he was known as The Storyteller. He would visit the children quite frequently for a few weeks, and then he would disappear for months on end until they no longer expected him at night, but then The Storyteller suddenly appeared to tell the stories once again.  
  
For several minutes, the old man sat in thought as the children fidgeted impatiently. Then, he raised his head. He looked at each of the children in turn. "What story do you want to hear tonight?" The Storyteller asked in his quiet yet powerful voice.  
  
The room was filled with cries begging for old favorites. When the commotion had died down, a small child book up. "Tell us a story about hobbits, Mr. Storyteller," the tiny voice said.  
  
The Storyteller took the small girl in his lap and smiled. "A story about hobbits? I believe I know just the one for you." The Storyteller's eyes twinkled for his favorite stories to tell were all about hobbits. He laid some more wood on the fire and began telling his tale.  
  
"Young Bilbo Baggins was practically bursting with excitement. In one week, his grandfather, the Old Took, was throwing the biggest party in the history of the Shire for his 120th birthday. Bilbo had never been to his grandfather's house in Tookland before. Bilbo had heard some Tooks went on adventures, and he had never met someone who had had an adventure before. According to the grownups, adventures were scandalous and tarnished good family names. Even his mother, Belladonna Took, looked down on adventures.  
  
Besides the prospect of hearing about an adventure, there were other reasons to look forward to the party. Bilbo heard that there were going to be huge feasts in which there would be so much food there wood be leftovers. Leftovers were practically unheard of because eating is the favorite pastime of hobbits who eat about five meals a day not including snacks. Bilbo had heard that a wizard, Gandalf, would set off fireworks at the end of the party. Only the Old Took of all the hobbits had ever seen fireworks, so young and old alike were eager to see the fireworks, but not many wanted to see a wizard. The hobbits were wary of anything out of the ordinary, and the hobbits feared that the wizard would do something unnatural to them.  
  
The day of the party dawned warm and fair. Bilbo fidgeted restlessly in the back of his parents' wagon. The only thing he gained from his complaints that the party would be over by the time they got there was a rebuking look from his parents. Soon the road became congested with other hobbits on their way to the party. After turning the final bend of the road into Tookland, a field filled with brightly colored pavilions, open-air kitchens, and a throng of hobbits came into view. The Bagginses entered the field.  
  
As soon as he was able, Bilbo ran off because he didn't want to listen to the adults talk about boring things like the weather. Bilbo wandered about sampling his favorite foods from the pavilions as he gazed about in awe. Never before had he seen such a vast variety of food and entertainment in one place. Bilbo was just about to start exploring, when his parents found him and took him to the large central pavilion. It was time for the lunch feast to begin and all relatives were told to go to the main pavilion. The adults sat around a large round table, but the children sat in a corner around a table made just for their size. Much to Bilbo's dislike, he had to sit next t his younger cousin, Otho Sackville-Baggins, who constantly teased and badgered Bilbo. As Bilbo enthusiastically devoured the delectable meal, he noticed something odd.  
  
Sitting across the pavilion from Bilbo next to his grandfather was an old man who was easily twice the height of the Old Took. His face was partly hidden by the hood of his gray cloak, but the tip of his long nose and his bushy white eyebrows were visible. Suddenly, the old man subtly turned his head up from his conversation with Bilbo's grandfather and locked his fiery gaze upon Bilbo. Bilbo fought his sudden urge to hide beneath the table. Bilbo turned toward Otho and asked, "Who is that old man next to our grandfather? I have never seen him before."  
  
Otho sneered at Bilbo. "That's Gandalf, the wizard, you better steer clear of him or he'll turn you into a toad. Don't you know anything you butter-brained fool?"  
  
"A real wizard here! I'll bet he knows lots of adventures to tell about," Bilbo hissed excitedly.  
  
"If you want a real adventure, cousin. I dare you to go to his room at grandfather's and bring something back to prove it. If you don't, everyone will know what a sissy you are," Otho whispered threateningly.  
  
Bilbo was not about to let his insolent little cousin call him a sissy. "I'll go into the wizard's room," Bilbo said in attempt to be brave.  
  
When the lunch feast was done, Bilbo slipped away from the pavilions and headed to his grandfather's home which was dug into a hill like most hobbit homes. He walked along side its front until he found the door for guests. He opened the small round door and hesitantly stepped inside.  
  
It was dim inside the hallway, but not so dark that nothing could be seen. Bilbo slowly opened the first door he found and stuck his head in. He gazed inside the room. Inside, there was a big bed that was much too big for a hobbit. An ashen staff twice the size of Bilbo leaned against the wall, and papers of all sizes were scattered across the room. A flash of gold caught Bilbo's eye. A small ruby ring lay on the floor next to the bed. Bilbo decided that the ring was small enough that it would not be missed and would be just right to show that Otho that Bilbo was not a sissy. He scurried over toward the ring.  
  
Suddenly, Bilbo heard large footsteps coming down the hallway. He quickly grabbed the ring and dove under the bed just as the doorknob began to turn. The door opened and in stepped the wizard. Bilbo lay silently quivering in fear under the bed. The wizard began rummaging around the room searching for something. The wizard sat down on the bed just above Bilbo and began sorting his papers. Bilbo, who had been holding his breath, slowly exhaled. Then, the wizard stopped moving about, and Bilbo was terrified that he'd been heard. In a blink of an eye, the wizard deftly thrust his arms under the bed and pulled a quaking Bilbo from under it.  
  
"Who are you and what are you doing in my room?" the wizard demanded.  
  
"I'm Bilbo Baggins and my cousin dared me to come in here and take him back something or he'd tell everyone I was a sissy. I didn't mean any harm, mr. Gandalf," Bilbo stuttered as he stared into the wizard's eyes.  
  
"What have you taken?" Gandalf asked a bit more gently.  
  
Bilbo opened his small fist slowly, displaying the ruby ring. "This ring I found next to the bed," Bilbo whispered.  
  
"I'm afraid you can't take that, because I need it and it's dear to me. Little hobbits don't need rings like that. I believe you came in here for more than just to fulfill a dare," Gandalf spoke.  
  
"Well, I wondered if you could tell me about an adventure," Bilbo said as he handed Gandalf back the ring which Gandalf put on his hand.  
  
"You still want to hear about adventures, when you just had your own little adventure?" Gandalf laughed merrily.  
  
"I did just have my own little adventure, didn't?" Biblo said happily, "But what will I do to show Otho that I was here?"  
  
"I believe I know just the right thing for our little friend," Gandalf said mysteriously. Then Gandalf bent down and whispered his plan into Bilbo's ear. A large, impish grin spread across Bilbo's face.  
  
When night began to fall, Otho cornered Bilbo as Bilbo was hurrying to a vacant corner of the field. "You sissy, you didn't go to the wizard's room, because you don't have anything to show me," Otho sneered.  
  
"Excuse me, Otho. I have to go help Gandalf set off the fireworks. I don't have time to listen to your petty remarks," Bilbo said as he continued on his way. Otho stared in shock after Bilbo as Bilbo walked off toward Gandalf.  
  
Soon the night sky way filled with bright colors. There were bursts of light that looked like birds, flowers, fireflies, and mountains of smoke. Then a shadowy white wolf filled the sky and it began to run. Many of the hobbits ducked down in fear. The wolf stopped dead in its advance. It turned straight toward Otho Sackville-Baggins and let loose a blood- curdling howl and charged after a shrieking Otho until both were out of sight. The hobbits laughed at the sight. Then, an image of a setting sun filled the sky, signaling the end of the show. Back in the vacant part of the field, where the fireworks had been set off, Bilbo could barely contain his joyful shrieking laughter at the joke, but Gandalf just stood there silently laughing with his eyes."  
  
The Storyteller gently lifted the sleeping child off his lap. The children applauded his tale sleepily. They wandered off toward their beds, already bordering on the land of sleep. One child didn't head toward his bed. He stared defiantly at The Storyteller and declared, "That story isn't true, and there is no such thing as hobbits. It is impossible for Gandalf to exist, because there is no such thing as wizards."  
  
Slowly, the front door of the orphanage opened with a creak. In tottered a short little person with a head of curly snow-white hair. He tottered up to The Storyteller. "Really Gandalf, if you don't hurry up we are going to miss our boat. If we miss the boat, we won't be able to get home again until the next boat comes in three months," the smapp person said impatiently in his high pitched voice. There was a puff of smoke that filled the room. Gandalf's voice carried through the cloud as he left the room.  
  
Bilbo, why did you have to say my name; now you've ended the mystery. You never did know when to keep your mouth shut." The child stared after Bilbo and Gandalf in shock. He couldn't wait to tell the others in the morning. 


End file.
